Edgar Meyer Re-teams with Chris Thile for “Bass & Mandolin”

Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer have recorded as a duo for the first time since 2008, and the results are breathtaking.

The simple album title, Bass & Mandolin describes what you’ll hear on the record from two virtuoso players. Thile handles mandolin (and guitar) and Meyer, of course, is on double bass (and piano).

Meyer is MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award recipient and four-time Grammy winner lauded for his playing in a wide variety of genres, from classical to bluegrass.

He explains how he’s so musically compatible with Thile, who is not only a MacArthur fellow, but also well-known for his solo work, and his playing/composing in the groups Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers. “Chris is comfortable with all kinds of improvising, with lots of different musical feelings and rhythmic feelings. With him I can do anything I want. I can just be a bass player or I can play the melody. There are not many people with whom I have so much common ground. We can get to the bottom of things very quickly.”

The pair make an amazing sound, as you can hear on the track, “Tarnation”: